By Goldie Ribiat
My dad passed away in 2014 and soon after it became apparent that Mom really needed to have someone watching her more regularly. My husband Jack and I talked about having Mom move in with us. Just the thought of having Mom in a nursing home kept me up at night. How would we pay for it once mom ran out of funds? And was it really the best for her? She needed more care than we can provide on our own but did she really need to move into a nursing home now?
We researched Medicaid and discovered that the process is so grueling and this again caused us sleepless nights. Perhaps mom would not be eligible and quite frankly we did not want to deprive her of her independence. We wanted her to be with us as long as possible and receive the best care possible.
Mom was kind of in-between independent but needed a bit of ‘fill-in’ care.
If only there was an option!!
Read articles related to Medicaid via this link: https://theconnectionsnj.com/category/health-information/
Back to Google and we discovered that there are agencies that could assist us with the Medicaid process. Fortunately, our first call was to Application Pros. On the initial call, Rachelle talked to me for nearly an hour explaining all the nuances of the process and the different programs available. I was overjoyed to learn that Mom could continue to live with us and receive benefits in the community. In-home care-takers, daycares, transportation to doctors’ appointments, pharmacy benefits and so much more! Needless to say, we immediately began the process and after a few months, Mom was receiving benefits. She was able to live with us and I began to sleep better. When they say “Medicaid Done Right”-they mean it. Thank you, Application Pros.
Mom recently passed away and as we reminisced her final years, we were content in the knowledge that we gave Mom the very best in her final years. Mom lived with us for about a year while visiting daycare centers several times a week and having an aide. All this was covered under the Medicaid program. Mom was in a nursing home for her final 2 years-also covered under the Medicaid program.
Thank goodness we reached out to Application Pros. They guided us compassionately and expertly throughout the entire process and beyond. I would NEVER have known that mom could be home and receive excellent care. And once she needed a long-term care facility, we were able to admit her seamlessly as she already had her benefits in place! What a misconception so many have that one must be in a nursing home to qualify for long-term care benefits. It’s shameful the loss of benefits and most importantly care one can lose out on. Please don’t make that mistake for your loved ones.
Application pros is a full-service agency assisting families in the Medicaid application process. We are family-owned and operated. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Your family is our family.